Ellagitannins possess several biological activities, including anticancer properties. The goal of the present study was to investigate the cyto- and genotoxic activities of a red raspberry ellagitannin preparation (REP) in the concentration range of 2.5-160 μg/mL, as well as that of the main individual raspberry ellagitannins, sanguiin H-6 (SH-6, 12.8-256 μM) and lambertianin C (LC, 9.3-378 μM), against human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. The ellagitannin concentrations used in the study correspond to those found in foodstuffs containing raspberry fruit. REP, SH-6, and LC exhibited strong concentration-dependent genotoxic properties, inducing DNA damage ranging from 7.3 ± 1.3 to 56.8 ± 4.3%, causing double-strand breaks and oxidation of DNA bases. At IC50 (124 μg/mL) the REP affected the nuclear morphology and induced the apoptosis of Caco-2 cells. Because the REP has been found to possess chemopreventive activity, it can be used as a natural food additive to enhance the health benefits of foodstuffs.
Keywords: DNA damage; cytotoxicity; ellagitannins; genotoxicity; raspberry fruit.